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Texas A&M University–Commerce is a member of the Texas A&M University System located in Commerce, Texas. It also has campuses in Dallas and Mesquite, Texas and conducts classes at the Rockwall, Texas campus of Collin County Community College District. The university also has a partnership with Navarro College.
History
The university began as East Texas Normal College in 1889 when founder William Leonidas Mayo opened the doors to a one-building campus in Cooper, TX.
After the original campus was destroyed by fire in 1894, Mayo moved the college to its present location in Commerce, TX.
The State of Texas purchased the campus from Mayo in 1917 (after receiving word that the State would purchase the campus, while walking back to the campus Mayo would die of a heart attack) and changed the name to East Texas State Normal College. In 1923, the school was renamed East Texas State Teachers College. The graduate program was added in 1935.
In 1957 the state Legislature, recognizing that the purpose of the institution had broadened from teacher education, changed the name to East Texas State College. Following the inauguration of the first doctoral program in 1962, the name was changed to East Texas State University (ETSU).
ETSU would open branch locations in Mesquite, Dallas, and Texarkana. In 1996, the institution entered the Texas A&M University System and became Texas A&M University-Commerce; the Texarkana branch separated from the Commerce campus and became Texas A&M University-Texarkana, a separately accredited institution.
Famous Alumni
- Sam Rayburn, former Speaker of the House
- Wade Wilson, former National Football League quarterback
External links
Universities and colleges in Texas | Texas A&M University System | Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
"Texas A&M University–Commerce"